Just Words

By Willie Deed III

Just Words is the author’s first book. The book contains several short stories, which include subject matters such as single parenthood, faith in God, and the controversial death penalty execution.

The author believes that every healthy, thinking person has a story to tell that can move readers’ emotions from laughter to tears, because at the end of the day, all stories are just words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984544636

Willie Deed III

Willie Deed III was raised in Stockton California. After graduating from High School in 1974, he joined the U.S. Army. His military career lasted twenty years. He spent tours of duties at Fort Ord California, Nurnberg Germany and camp Stanley South Korea. He also participated in the Desert Storm Gulf War and was awarded the bronze star medal. During his long military career Willie was promoted many times, finally retiring in 1994 with the rank of first sergeant. In 1995 he was hired as a correctional officer at San Quintin State Prison, a career that lasted twenty-one years. During his employment at San Quintin he worked in many units including the infamous death row. He retired as a correction counselor in 2016. Today he is enjoying his retirement life by being the best grandfather of all time to his six beautiful granddaughters.

Book preview

JUST WORDS

Willie Deed III

Copyright © 2018 by Willie Deed III.

Library of Congress Control Number:      2018909101

ISBN:                  Hardcover           978-1-9845-4465-0

                           Softcover            978-1-9845-4464-3

                           eBook                 978-1-9845-4463-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/12/2018

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Contents

Time

Faith

Togetherness

The Hanging Tree

Casualties

Six Hours to Live

The Dark Blue Curtain

Silent Love

What If

A Mother’s Love

Dreamer

Remember When

Say Goodbye

Lost Souls

Golden Days

Night Visions

Tomorrow

The Awakening

The One

Inter Vision

Time

I got up this morning and went jogging. You see, I was still feeling stressed out from an argument I had with my wife last night. She complained that I had not been spending enough quality time with her and our children. I kept trying to tell her that she was wrong, but she said that my actions did not agree with the words that were coming out of my mouth, and that made me mad. I could not sleep because her words stayed in my thoughts all night.

Anyway, like I said, I got up this morning and went for a run to clear my head and reduce my stress level. I was running in a park when I came across an old man who was sitting on a bench, and he was crying. I stopped and asked him what was the matter, and he replied, Time.

His answer confused me, and I asked him what he meant. He said, Son, I am ninety years old. I have been living for a long time.

He then asked me if I was married, and I said, Yes, my wife and I have three children, and our home is not that far from here.

I then asked the old man if his home was close by. The old man replied, My house is close by, but when I think of home, I see myself opening the front door of my house and my kids come running to greet me with joy on their faces, saying, ‘Daddy’s home, Daddy’s home,’ and my wife is standing there, smiling. The whole dwelling is filled with the warmth of love. But like I told you earlier, son, my sadness is ‘time’ because all those who I have ever loved are gone. My house is no longer a home, there is no one there but me, and every room is filled with the cold chills of loneliness. I am left only with the warm memories of good times I felt in the past. Believe me, son, you need to cherish every day you share with those you love because time passes by so fast, and before you know it, you are an old man, and you find yourself alone in a park, sitting on a bench, crying, dreaming of yesterday, and trying to touch love ones who are long gone. Damn, there is no place like home. Son, I will be all right. I am sure you have someplace more important to be than with me here in this park.

All that I could say to the old man was thank you, and I left. I could not wait to get home.

When I got there, I opened the front door, and my kids came running to greet me with joy on their faces, saying, Daddy’s home, Daddy’s home. And in the living room, I saw my wife smiling. There were no words that could express how I felt. As I turned to close the front door, I saw the old man from the park, walking slowly by. He stopped and looked at me, and a smile came across his face. Tears began to flow down my face as I thought of time. I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them, he was gone. I closed the front door and felt the warmth of love that was in the room, and something that the old man said to me echoed in my head—damn, there was no place like home.

Faith

May 1983, it’s a warm Sunday morning in Stockton, California, and the smell of fried bacon flows freely from the kitchen where Dorothy Brown is preparing breakfast for herself and her only child Dale. Dorothy is a single parent who works two jobs six days a week to support herself and her son, but no matter how tired she feels, she faithfully goes to church every Sunday. She was once married to her high school sweetheart Roscoe who had joined the army right after they graduated from high school, and a few months later, they were married. But their marriage only lasted four years because living in Nuremberg, Germany, as a military wife was not for her. And since Roscoe wanted to be a career soldier, they decided to end their marriage.

Dale, their son, is a seventeen-year-old senior at Thomas Edison Senior High School and is considered the number one high school baseball player in the nation. As she finishes cooking the meal, Dorothy calls for her son, Dale, it’s time to get up. I heard your alarm clock go off twenty minutes ago. There is no response. Dorothy speaks again. Dale, I know you heard me.

Dale replies, Yeah, Momma. I heard you, and I am coming.

Well, hurry up because I don’t want to be late for church today.

Momma, we have plenty of time. The service starts at eleven and it’s only seven thirty.

Dorothy argues, Boy, just get in here and eat. Besides, you know that your uncle Joe stops by here every Sunday on his way to church and acts like he had not eaten anything in three weeks, and we do not have much food because I have not had time to go shopping.

Dale agrees, Yeah, Momma. You are right. Uncle Joe is a greedy dude. I remember last Sunday when he came by and ate all the hash brown potatoes and then promised to buy us lunch after church, but soon as the service was over, I saw him sneak out of the side exit and leave. Anyway, are you coming to my baseball game on Saturday?

I do not know. Cynthia said that she would switch shifts with me, but you know how often she changes her mind.

Momma, you got to be there. It’s my last high school game, and it’s for the state championship. If we win, we will be the first school in the history of California high school baseball to win the state championship four years in a row.

Well, like I said, I will do my very best to make it there, but if I cannot get anyone to switch shifts with me, I will just have to work because I got bills to pay and we have to eat.

Momma, you work too much. I sure will be glad when this school year is over because when I get drafted by one of those pro baseball teams, I promise I am going to make sure that you will not have to work another day in your life.

That’s a sweet thing for you to say, Dale, but I have faith in the Lord. He has taken care of us so far.

"I know, Momma. But all I am